The Strength of Family
by Sasha.Rizzoli
Summary: 14 years ago, Elliot and Olivia had an unplanned affair. After finding out she was pregnant, Olivia left SVU and her home. Now her 13 year old twins have just found out Olivia is sick and are determined to reunite their parents. EO. DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I was so bored today and I came up with another idea. I know I said I was going to try finish some stories but I have a short attention span. Lol. Please read and review. A lot of this chapter is flashbacks just to get in to the story. Set in the future. I don't know how far Albany is from Manhattan, I am just saying it's a couple hours away. **

**Disclaimer: Only own the detective and the twins.**

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

_Flashback Start_

"_Casey, Caleb come sit down." Olivia spoke softly to her teenage twins._

_Casey Serena, who was named after ADA Casey Novak, had her father's cerulean blue eyes, her mother's olive complexion, lips and nose but most of all Olivia's stubborness sat down beside her older twin, Caleb Elliot. Caleb, who was named after his father, had his father's hard headedness, lips and ears but his mother's beautiful deep mocha orbs and nose._

_The twins were seated on the couch in the living room, facing their mother, who was sitting on the coffee table in front of them._

"_Mom, what's going on? You're freaking us out." Casey spoke nervously, biting her mother lip, just like her mother did._

_Olivia rubbed her exhausted olive toned face. She was a fifty-five year old single mother of thirteen year old twins. She was very proud of her children. They were intelligent and very close. The twins rarely ever fought but Caleb could sometimes be over protective of his twin sister, although Casey was very thankful that her brother looked out for her, she also hated it._

"_I'm sick, kids." She informed them in a sad whisper._

_Silent tears were flowing down Casey's face. "No. No, it's a lie!" She cried._

_Olivia slowly shook her head, trying to keep her own tears at bay._

"_You're going to live, aren't you?" Caleb asked, desperately as he tried to comfort his younger twin._

_Olivia got up slowly and took a slow, deep breath. "I don't know, Caleb. I don't know." She replied before going in to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She didn't want to show weakness in front of her children._

_Caleb looked at his sister. "Case, where did Mom say she used to work?"_

"_Manhattan SVU, why?" Casey replied, now looking at her brother, trying to figure out what he was up to._

"_We can catch a train down there after Mom drops us off at school in the morning. We have to find our father. He should be here."_

_Casey took a slow deep breath before nodding in agreement. "You're right."_

_End flashback._

Caleb and Casey walked in to the Special Victims Unit squad room and a female detective approached the teenagers. She had bleeched blonde hair, brown eyes and wore silver rimmed oval shaped glasses.

"Hi, kids. I'm Detective Hudson. Can I help you with something?" Her voice was soft and friendly.

"We need to speak to an Elliot Stabler." Caleb replied.

Detective Hudson nodded with a smile. "Come with me."

Caleb and Casey followed the young detective to the closed office door at the back of the squad room.

Detective Hudson knocked lightly on the door and opened it when she received an answer from the occupant inside.

The door opened to reveal their father, sitting at the desk inside. He looked older then in the photos that their mother had.

"Captain, these children would like to speak to you."

Elliot nodded. "Thanks, Janice."

Hudson left the small office, closing the door behind her.

"Can I help you, kids?"

"I'm Caleb and this is my twin sister Casey. Mr Stabler, you are our father."

Elliot was shell shocked. Did he hear the young boy right? Was he the father of these teenage twins?

"Who is your mother?" He asked to confirm.

Casey grabbed two photos out of her coat pocket. Both of her, Caleb and Olivia. She passed them to Elliot.

"Olivia Benson." She answered as she gave them to him.

Elliot took the photos gently and smiled. In the photos, Olivia looked so happy. In one, she was practically glowing as she held two bundles of joy in her arms; one in a blue blanket and the other in a pink blanket. In the other photo, which looked fairly recent, was taken at the twins' thirteenth birthday.

"How is you mother? Where is she?"

"She is in Albany. We caught a train down here. Mr Stabler, our mother is sick."

Elliot was shocked again. Olivia was sick. The love of his life, who he missed every minute of every day was sick. He had to see her.

He still remembered the last day he saw her.

_Flashback Start_

_Olivia walked in to the squad room, it had been six weeks since they had made love. Something Olivia said she regretted. Something that shouldn't have happened. She had broken that personal rule again. First Cassidy, now with Stabler._

_Elliot looked up from his paperwork to see unshed tears in his partner's beautiful chocolate brown pools as she put her purse in her locker._

"_Morning Liv." He greeted her softly._

"_Morning El." She replied, just as softly before walking in to Captain Cragen's office._

_Olivia returned about five minutes later with silent tears, which had fallen._

"_Liv..."_

_Olivia just looked at Elliot, sadly and sat down without a word. She couldn't tell him that she was pregnant and leaving because she knew it would break his heart._

_The day went painfully slowly for both Olivia and Elliot. Elliot returned from a call with Fin to find Olivia packing up her desk. She had her long, thick black coat on and her purse on her shoulder as she placed one last photo on the top, in the cardboard box._

_Olivia had already said goodbye to everyone, except Elliot and Fin._

_She walked over to Fin and gave him a hug. "I'll miss you, Fin. Stay safe."_

_Fin returned the hug. "I'll miss you too, baby girl. Good luck where ever you go."_

_Olivia then walked over to Elliot, sadly. She didn't want to say goodbye but knew it was for the best. Elliot had Kathy, Maureen, Kathleen, Lizzie, Dickie and Eli._

_Their affair shouldn't have happened._

"_Where are you going, Olivia?" He asked as they shared a hug._

_Olivia pulled away and gently cupped his face in her soft, olive toned hands. "Away," was her simple answer before giving him a quick, tender kiss on the lips. "I love you, Elliot Stabler. I will miss you." She whispered and let go of his face._

_Olivia picked up the box with her belongings in, took one last look at everyone, who she considered family and then she was gone._

_End Flashback._

Elliot got up from his desk and grabbed his coat before letting the right people know that he was taking a few days off.

"Come on, kids. I'll take you home. I need to see your mother."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The three of them arrived in Albany a few hours later and the twins dragged their father in to the nice four bedroom, two storey house with a swimming pool in the backyard.

Olivia had been worried sick about the twins since the phone call she got saying they didn't turn up to school.

She heard the back door open and walked toward it. She saw her children walk in with someone else...Elliot.

The love of her life, who she regretted moving away from. The man she missed every minute of every day. The father of her children.

She was in shock to see him after so long.

"Elliot..."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so happy with the response I got for the first chapter. I hope you all like this chapter. Please read and review! **

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except Caleb and Casey Benson.**

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

**Last time:**

She heard the back door open and walked toward it. She saw her children walk in with someone else...Elliot.

The love of her life, who she regretted moving away from. The man she missed every minute of every day. The father of her children.

She was in shock to see him after so long.

"Elliot..."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Elliot took a good look at Olivia and sighed sadly. She really was sick. He could tell. She was pale and exhausted.

"Liv, Caleb and Casey took a train down to Manhattan and found me. They told me that you are sick." He spoke softly, looking deep in to her beautiful pools of chocolate brown. Something was missing. The old spark he used to see in them.

Olivia took a slow, deep, painful breath. She was getting lost in those pools of gorgeous cerulean blue again. "T-take a s-seat on the c-couch." She stuttered, nervously as they walked in to the neat and tidy living room.

Caleb and Casey stood there watching their parents, silently hoping that their plan was working. They wanted their parents to get back together.

The twins had seen their mother sitting on her bed with a photo of her and Elliot in her hand. She would sit there, running her index finger over the part where Elliot was in the photo and remember all the good times that she and Elliot and spent together.

Casey could still remember the night that she asked about their father. She was a late bloomer, when it came to asking that question. She was eight; someone had teased her about not having a father, so as soon as she saw her mother walk in the front door that night after work and the baby-sitter had gone home, Casey pounced on her. She wanted answers.

_Flashback Start_

_Olivia was sitting on her bed, taking off her black boots when her precious eight year old twins walked in. She smiled._

"_Hey kids. Did Jessica take you to the playground today?"_

_Casey nodded and jumped up on to the bed beside her mother. "Mommy?"_

_Olivia wrapped her arms around her daughter and sat her on her lap. "Yes baby?"_

_Casey rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "Mommy, how come Caleb and I don't have a daddy, like all the other kids at school?"_

_Olivia sighed. She'd been dreading this question. "Ok...Honey..."She lifted Casey up and placed her on one knee. "Caleb, come sit on my other knee, buddy."_

_The twins were small for their age so it didn't matter on much if they both sat on her legs._

_Caleb didn't say anything. He just sat on his mother's right knee._

_Olivia grabbed the photo from beside the bed. "You see this man here?" She said, pointing to Elliot in the photo, which had been taken at a police officer's ball._

_Olivia had her hair dones up in butterfly clips and was wearing a shiny, glittery black spaghetti strap, knee length dress with black high heels. Elliot had his arm wrapped around her petite waist. He had been wearing a black tux with a white shirt. It was the night that the twins were conceived._

"_Yeah, you said that you worked with him and he was your best friend, Mom." Caleb finally spoke up._

_Olivia nodded. "He is also your father, kids. His name is Elliot Stabler."_

"_Wow, I look like him." Caleb smiled._

"_Why doesn't he live with us?" Casey asked, sadly._

"_Because I moved away before you kids were born."_

"_Oh." Casey sadly jumped off her mother's knee and walked away._

"_Case..." Olivia trie to get her daughter to come back but she didn't listen so Olivia got Caleb to jump off her knee and she went in to Casey's pink painted bedroom across the hall._

_End Flashback_

"Thanks, Liv. It's good to see you." Elliot said as he sat down on the comfy, four seater red and white couch.

Olivia nodded, shyly. She didn't know why she was so shy in front of the man that she loved. The man who had part in creating her children.

"It's...ah..good to see you too, Elliot. Would you like a drink?" She asked, standing in the doorway, which led from the living room to the kitchen.

"Ah sure. What do you have?"

"Umm..water..soda, coffee or tea."

"You still drink that flower water, eh?"

Olivia laughed lightly. "Yeah I do, Elliot. What would you like?" She asked with her arms folded on her chest.

"Just water thanks."

The beautiful brunette nodded and walked toward the refrigerator. "Kids, go upstairs to your rooms. I'll...I'll speak to you later." Olivia said to her children as she grabbed out a bottle of water for Elliot.

The twins knew that they were in trouble for going somewhere without permission, so they obeyed their mother and silently went upstairs to their bedrooms.

"Here you go, Elliot." Olivia passed the bottle of water to him and sat down on the other end of the couch.

To Elliot, it was like she was a whole different woman. Not the Olivia Benson that he used to know, love and work such long and crazy hours with. After fourteen years he didn't know anything about her anymore.

"Thanks. So...ah...how have you been since the last time we saw each other?" Elliot asked. Now nervous himself.

"Ah fine. I've been fine."

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Fine? You're going to have to give me more then that, Liv. You gave birth to two of my children. Why didn't you ever tell me? Did you know that you were pregnant that day you left?"

Olivia could hear the hurt in his voice. She couldn't believe that she was the cause of his hurt. She'd left so she didn't hurt him or his family.

Olivia could feel tears forming and turned away from the former detective, now captain of the SVU before he could see the glisten from the unshed tears in her eyes. "Yes, I knew I was pregnant." She said with a sniffle.

Elliot grabbed her and turned her to face him. It was a little too quick and her stomach didn't agree with the sudden, quick movement. She threw up on the floor beside the couch.

Elliot felt so guilty. He had let his hurt and anger get the best of him again. "I'm so sorry, Liv."

Olivia closed her eyes and a couple of tears fell before she re-opened her eyes.

"Don't touch me." She seethed before slowly getting off the couch.

She walked in to the laundry and grabbed out two dirty towels before walking back in to the living room to find Elliot still standing there.

"Get out of my house. I don't want to see you right now...If you want to see the kids again, come back tomorrow." She said as she cleaned up her mess on the polished wooden floor.

Elliot nodded. "I'm sorry. I will see you tomorrow." He said, softly and walked out, closing the door behind him.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Upstairs, Caleb snuck in to Casey's bedroom to see her writing in her book. She loved to write stories and Olivia was convinced that her daughter would grow up to be an author. Olivia respected that and wanted Casey to follow her dreams. Caleb, on the other way wanted to be a detective, just like his parents. Olivia didn't mind that either. She wanted her children to follow their dreams and to be happy.

"Case, it didn't work. Mom kicked Dad out."

Casey stopped writing and looked up from her book. She was about to ask why when they were interrupted by a loud thud downstairs, followed by a loud smash.

"Mom!" Caleb screamed, sensing something was wrong .

Casey jumped off her bed and the twins rushed downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am so happy with the response I am getting for this story! Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except Caleb and Casey Benson.**

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

**Last time:**

"Case, it didn't work. Mom kicked Dad out."

Casey stopped writing and looked up from her book. She was about to ask why when they were interrupted by a loud thud downstairs, followed by a loud smash.

"Mom!" Caleb screamed, sensing something was wrong .

Casey jumped off her bed and the twins rushed downstairs.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Elliot heard the loud smash from outside and ran back in to the house to see the twins rushing down the stairs. Casey was practically running down them and Caleb was sliding down the banister. Something his mother had told him off about many times but he didn't care right now. He had to get to his mother.

The three of them rushed in to the kitchen. Olivia was unconscious on the cold, blue tiled kitchen floor. Two dishes were smashed in to tiny pieces on the floor beside her and the top

cupboard which contained the dishes was wide open.

It was obvious to Elliot and the twins that Olivia was getting a dish down and the one underneath it came down as well when Olivia fainted. Elliot looked at the twins then back at Olivia. She was still unconscious.

"Caleb, call an ambulance." Elliot said as he rushed over to Olivia's limp body.

As Caleb rang for an ambulance, Elliot looked at Casey. She looked like she was about to pass out.

"Will mom be alright?" Casey was freaking out seeing her mother unconscious on the kitchen floor, especially the day after she had told them that she was sick.

Olivia hadn't revealed what was wrong with her because she didn't even know herself yet. The doctors were still running tests. All these doctor appointments and blood tests were stressing Olivia out, big time.

Elliot felt Olivia's neck for a pulse. Once he felt it, he sighed and turned to Casey.

"I don't know, sweetie. She's really sick." He spoke very softly and cautiously to his daughter. The daughter that he didn't even know existed till today.

Casey just nodded with silent tears as her older twin brother ran back in to the kitchen.

"They're on their way...Mr Stabler." Caleb didn't know if Elliot would appreciate being called 'dad' yet, so to be on the safe side, he just called him Mr. Stabler.

Elliot sighed and nodded.

Olivia's chocolate brown eyes fluttered open as she regained consciousness. She looked around her surrounds to see the most important people in her life. Elliot and her children. Her and Elliot's children. Two people that they created together. "Caleb? Casey?"

"We're here, mom." They said in unison as they rushed over to their mother.

Olivia reached up with both her hands. Caleb held her left while Casey clutched on to her loving mother's right hand.

"Mommy, please don't die." Casey pleaded with her caring mother.

The much younger version of Olivia hadn't called her mommy since she was ten years old.

Olivia sighed sadly with a few stray tears. "I'm not planning on it, so I will try not to, baby." Olivia whispered, meekly as she caressed the back of her daughter's hand with her thumb.

She then turned to face her son. She had scared him so much that he even his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Are you ok, buddy?"

Caleb rubbed his left eye as a stray, rebellious tear managed to fall, against his will. "Fine, I should be asking you that, mom."

A knock at the front door interrupted them.

"I'll get it." Elliot said and made his way to the door.

He returned a minute later with two paramedics.

It was a tall, buff looking, blonde haired, blue eyed Australian man and a shorter but still tall Belgian woman with sandy brown hair and green eyes.

The paramedics rushed off to Olivia.

"Hi, I'm Paramedic Daniella Kirby. I'm just going to hook you up to some saline to get some fluids into your body." Danijela informed Olivia, in a soft, friendly voice.

Olivia just nodded and looked away as she felt the needle going in to her arm.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Before everyone knew it, Olivia was being rushed to the nearest hospital in the back of the ambulance; which happened to be the hospital where the twins were born. Elliot and the twins were in the car following the rushing ambulance.

The last they heard was that, Olivia had thrown up and was unconscious again.

Caleb and Casey were sitting in the backseat of Elliot's car as Elliot drove, quickly but safely.

A meek, shaky voice flowed from the backseat, all of a sudden. It was Casey.

"Mr. Stabler, will our mom be alright?"

"Ah..." Elliot wasn't quite sure how to answer that question, "I don't know, Casey. Your mom is a very strong and stubborn woman so I'm sure that she will be fine but you still might want to pray, sweetie."

Casey just sighed and nodded but rested in her brother's loving arms when she felt him wrap them around her, in an attempt to comfort her.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

It was now two hours later and dark outside. Elliot, Caleb and Casey were still sitting in the waiting room, waiting for news on Olivia's condition.

Elliot was watching Caleb comforting his younger twin sister. It was very clear and easy to see just how close the twins were.

_'Liv's done an amazing job at raising those two.' _Elliot thought to himself and felt bad, thinking that she did it all alone even if she was the one that moved away. He should have tried harder to find her.

"Caleb?"

Hearing his name, Caleb looked up at his father. "Yes?"

"Did your mother raise you two by herself?"

Caleb nodded. "Yeah...she did." Caleb looked up at him and smiled sadly. "Well, she had occasional boyfriends but she never would commit to them unless we liked him or he liked us but mom never found the perfect one so she ended up giving up. She told us that we were more important than any man."

Elliot sighed and slowly nodded.

A doctor finally emerged from the trauma room. The man was about five foot seven, with grey hair and ocean blue eyes held a stethoscope around his neck and held Olivia's patient files in his hands.

"Are you Olivia Benson's family?"

"Yeah," Elliot raised his hand, "we are. What's going on?"

The doctor approached them and shook Elliot's hand after he and the twins stood up.

"I'm Doctor Patrick Livingston. I am the physician treating Miss Benson."

"Yeah yeah, cut the crap please, and just tell us what's wrong with our mom?" Casey asked, desperately. Elliot was sort of shock but still manage a small smirk at how much she was like her mother.

It wasn't her fault. The thirteen year old was just desperate for some answers.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except Caleb and Casey Benson.**

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

**Last time:**

A doctor finally emerged from the trauma room. The man was about five foot seven, with grey hair and ocean blue eyes held a stethoscope around his neck and held Olivia's patient files in his hands.

"Are you Olivia Benson's family?"

"Yeah," Elliot raised his hand, "we are. What's going on?"

The doctor approached them and shook Elliot's hand after he and the twins stood up.

"I'm Doctor Patrick Livingston. I am the physician treating Miss Benson."

"Yeah yeah, cut the crap please, and just tell us what's wrong with our mom?" Casey asked, desperately. Elliot was sort of shocked but still manage a small smirk at how much she was like her mother.

It wasn't her fault. The thirteen year old was just desperate for some answers.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The doctor sighed. "We don't know yet. We are still running tests. She's stable and you can go see her. Follow me."

The three of them followed the doctor down three random hallways and when they reached Olivia's hospital room door, Elliot stopped and looked at the doctor. "Is Olivia awake?"

Dr. Livington nodded. "Yes, sir, she is."

Elliot shook the man's hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Hopefully we can work out what Olivia is suffering from, so we can start the proper treatment."

"That would be good," Elliot said before turning to Caleb and Casey. "Come on, let's go see your mom."

The twins nodded in unison before Caleb opened the pine wooden door and walked in to his mother's hospital room with Casey and Elliot right behind him.

Olivia opened her eyes and looked toward the door when she heard it open. She saw her children and their father.

"Hey kids. Hi El." Her voice was strained and meek.

Olivia had finally loosened up and called her old partner by his nickname.

"Hey Liv," Elliot greeted her as he sat on the chair beside the hospital bed.

"Hey mom," both twins said in unison as they approached.

Caleb noticed something weird, obviously no one else had noticed or they just weren't talking about it. He looked down at his mother's left hand. It was twitching.

"Mom?"

Olivia looked up at her son. "Yes, honey?"

"Y-your hand is twitching."

The sick brunette looked down at her left hand and then back up at her son again. "Yes I know, baby. It's been doing it since I regained consciousness," she replied and then looked at her daughter. "Baby, are you ok?"

More tears began to stream down from the teen's beautiful sapphire blue eyes. Seeing the tears in her daughter's eyes was breaking Olivia's heart, especially since she knew that she was the one causing them. Not purposely, of course, but she was still blaming herself. Whatever she was suffering from, she was planning on fighting it for her children and Elliot.

"Aww, Casey, honey. Come here." Olivia whispered as she reached out to her daughter.

Casey slowly and gently walked in to her mother's welcoming arms and delicately returned the hug. Casey could feel her mother's hand twitching on her back.

"We can't lose you, Mom," Casey sobbed.

Casey was extremely close to her mother. She looked up to her adored her. Everything her mother went through as a child and even when she raised her and her twin brother as a single mother made the adolescent realize that you can do anything you set your mind to and you can survive. Her mother was the strongest woman, she knew and Casey didn't want her mother to give up.

Olivia gently rubbed soothing circles on her daughter's back. "Baby girl, I'm not planning on going anywhere. I'm planning on fighting whatever I have."

Casey dislodged herself from her sick mother's grip and backed away a few feet.

"Please don't make promises that you can't keep, mom," she sobbed before rushing out of the hospital room.

"Casey!" Olivia called out but she was gone and Olivia couldn't get out of bed to go after her. If she did try, she wouldn't get far. "Caleb, could you please give Elliot, 'Aunt' Casey's cell phone number?"

"Sure, Mom." He replied and pulled out his cell phone from his pants pocket.

"'Aunt' Casey? As in ADA Casey Novak?" Elliot asked in confusion.

Olivia nodded. "Yes. After she left SVU, she moved up here. Casey was named after Novak. She was there when the twins were born," she explained.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Olivia shrugged her shoulders, "It never came up."

"Here it is," Caleb passed his cell phone to his father.

Elliot took it. "Thanks. Mind if I take it outside to call her?"

Caleb looked at his mother, who nodded, so he turned back to his father.

"Ah sure. Just don't answer it if it rings 'cos it might be my girlfriend."

Elliot nodded and rushed out.

"Girlfriend, huh? You never told me, buddy," Olivia smiled, weakly.

Caleb shrugged his shoulders. "We only started dating about four weeks ago. I didn't think that you would approve."

"What's her name?" Olivia was fishing for answers.

"Mackayla Donnelly," he replied and took a photo out of his wallet.

Olivia took the photo. The young girl looked maybe a year younger then Caleb. She had long, wavy, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She wore purple rimmed, oval shaped glasses and had two piercings in each ear.

"She's a pretty little thing. Is she in your classes?" She asked as she handed back the photo.

Caleb nodded. "Yeah. In my math, English, history and music classes."

Olivia smiled and turned to the door to see Elliot walk back in.

"Hey. Did she answer?"

"Yes. She is looking for Casey right now. She is checking her favourite hang outs first."

"Thanks El. I would have run after her but I wouldn't get far with all these drugs in my system," she said, lifting up her arms to show the IVs.

"I know, Livvie. It isn't your fault."

"Why does it feel like it, then?" Olivia was on the edge of breaking down.

Elliot got up and gently gave Olivia a hug which she willingly returned.

"I don't know, Livvie. I don't know."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Casey Novak parked her car and walked up to the playground where Casey Benson sometimes went when she was upset. It was about four blocks from the hospital.

She saw a figure on a swing, just slowly swinging. This figure was wearing dark blue bootleg jeans, black boots and a pink-red top, which was a bit longer and baggier at the front. Her long, wavy brown hair was tied up in a ponytail. Novak instantly knew that it was her namesake.

The older Casey sat down on the swing next to the younger Casey.

"Hey honey, want to talk about it?" her voice was soft and warm to the teen.

Casey Serena looked up at her 'aunt', with silent tears but didn't verbally respond.

"Aww, Lil C, come here," Casey spoke gently.

Lil C was short for Little Casey. It was something Novak had started calling her namesake from the moment that Olivia said that she was naming her daughter after her. Little Casey called her godmother Big C, short for big Casey. It had basically started by default and stuck.

Little Casey sat on her godmother's lap. "I can't lose Mom, Big C."

Novak rubbed her goddaughter's back. "I know, honey. I know."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Here it is..Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing except Caleb and Casey Benson.**

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Casey Novak and Casey Benson walked back in to Olivia's hospital room. Olivia was still worried sick about her daughter.

When the door opened Olivia looked up to see her daughter and her best friend walk in.

"Hey. Thanks for finding my baby girl, Case," Olivia's voice was still weak.

"No problem, Liv. They still don't know what's wrong, eh?" Casey asked, sadly.

Olivia shook her head. "No, not yet. How are Mike and Jazzlyn?"

"They're good. Jazz is enjoying her first week of school," she replied with a smile.

Dr Livingston walked in just then with Olivia's chart. "Sorry, everyone but it's time to go. Say goodnight."

"Mom, can I stay with dad tonight while Case goes to 'Aunt' Casey's house?" Caleb asked.

Elliot's heart glowed with fatherly pride at his son's choice of words. Caleb had called him 'Dad'.

"Only if it's alright with your father."

"Sure buddy. It's no problem," Elliot answered with a smile. This was his chance to know about the son that he didn't know existed before that morning.

Caleb smiled back. "Thanks...Night Mom," he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Everyone else copied Caleb and left for the night.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Little Casey walked in to the house right behind Big Casey. Casey was glad that she has some spare clothing at her 'Aunt's' house.

"Mommy! Lil C!" a little girl greeted. She had shoulder length brown hair and hazel green eyes, wearing a little black skirt and a pink top. Jazzlyn Olivia FitzGerald ran up to them, just as Novak shut the front door.

Little Casey squatted down and gave the six year old a hug. "Hi Jazz."

"Casey, come see my new toy," Jazzlyn replied and to drag the teen in to her bedroom.

"Sure," Casey replied and stood up before being dragged in to the little girl's bedroom.

Mike turned away from the football game on the TV and turned to his wife. "Hey, babe. Do they know what's wrong with Olivia yet?"

Casey shook her head, sadly as she sat down on the couch beside her husband.

Mike wrapped his arms around the ADA and Casey snuggled in to him, resting her head on his chest.

"I'm sure that they will find out soon, baby. If she wants another opinion I can run some tests...Where's Caleb?" He said as he gently ran a hand through Casey's soft red hair.

Casey sighed. "Caleb is with his father for the night...Babe, you usually only treat children. You're a paediatrician."

"Yeah I know, Casey but I can treat adults as well."

"I know, Mike. I'm sorry," she apologized, softly and went to get off the couch.

Mike gently pulled her back. "Baby, it's alright. You're tired and stressed out. I understand," he whispered as he rubbed her arm.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Elliot and Caleb were sitting in a hotel room, learning things about each other and watching the football on the TV.

"So Caleb, what do you want to be when you finish school?"

"A detective, just like you and Mom," Caleb replied with a proud grin.

Elliot smiled. "That's great, buddy."

"Dad, why did Mom leave before Casey and I were born?" the teen asked, cautiously. He wanted answers now.

Elliot sighed. He hadn't been expecting that question to be asked and to make it worse, he didn't have an answer himself to give the boy. "I don't know why, buddy. You will have to ask your Mom that. She never gave me the reason why she left," Elliot explained the best he could.

"Oh ok...Why didn't you come looking for us?"

"I didn't know where you were living. I'm sorry, buddy. I would have been there for the three of you, if I knew."

Caleb just nodded and turned back to the TV.

"Caleb..."

Caleb didn't say a word. He just continued to watch the football game.

"Caleb..."

"Just leave me alone for a minute," Caleb seethed in anger at his father, before getting up and storming out the hotel room.

Elliot sighed. _Yep, Caleb is definitely my son. Hot headed and stubborn._

He got up and followed Caleb outside. The teenager was standing against the outside wall with his arms folded on his chest, looking at the dirty, cracked concrete ground. He heard his father approach him. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"It's alright, buddy. You're worried about your Mom. No harm done."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

As soon as everyone left, Olivia looked up at her doctor. "Why the hell is my hand twitching?"

"When did it start, Olivia?"

"When I regained consciousness."

Dr Livingston nodded and wrote on his chart. "Well we are still trying to work out what you have. I am still waiting on one more test to come back."

Olivia nodded, slowly, "Ok."

"We will find out eventually, Olivia," Dr Livingston spoke sadly.

Olivia looked away with her arms folded on her chest. "Will it be before or after I die from it?" she asked in frustration.

Dr Livingston rubbed his face. "I know it's hard, but try to think positively."

Olivia didn't reply. She just closed her eyes.

The doctor sighed. "My shift finishes now. Dr Sarah O'Neal will be taking over. If your test results come back while she is on duty, she will read them to you."

"Ok," Olivia muttered and went to sleep after hearing the doctor walk out.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The next morning saw Olivia sitting up on the hospital bed with the twins on the end of the bed, Elliot standing up, leaning against the wall and Casey in the chair beside the hospital bed.

The doctor had told Olivia that her test results had come in and they finally had the correct diagnosis and said she could call her family to be there with her to hear the results.

Casey Novak wasn't exactly family but Olivia wanted her best friend to be there just as much as Elliot and the twins to be there to hear them.

Olivia took a deep breath as she clutched one of her children's hands in each of her own.

"What's wrong with me?"

A/N: Olivia's illness will be revealed in the next chapter I promise.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So sorry about the very long wait but here it finally is. Thanks to OuroboroSnyder for betaing. Please read and review.**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing you recognize.**

* * *

The doctor licked his dry lips and looked around at the people that surrounded the room before looking back at his patient on the hospital bed.

"Olivia, you have an abnormally high white blood cell count. We're going to have to do a biopsy, but it seems as though you have cancer," the doctor tried to explain as best as he could to his anxious patient.

Olivia gasped in shock at the announcement and tightened her grips on her children's hands.

"Oh, God, no. Please tell me that the test results are wrong," she begged.

The brunette had not been expecting these results.

"I'm very sorry, Olivia. I'll be back shortly to set up for the biopsy," he answered before leaving the occupants in the room alone to have a private moment. He knew they needed time to absorb the news of Olivia's condition.

Olivia looked up at Elliot, biting her bottom lip with a few stray tears that had fallen from her welled up brown eyes.

The father of her children leaned down and caressed her cheek. "You'll get through this, Liv. You're the strongest woman I know," he whispered before he gave her a light, yet encouraging kiss on the lips.

The sick brunette sniffled. "Please don't make promises that you can't keep, Elliot," she whispered.

Elliot opened his mouth to reply but little Casey beat him to it. She let go of her mother's hand and started to hyperventilate.

"I...I need some air," she spoke as a tremor coursed through her. Casey couldn't stand the thought of losing her mother.

She got up and sprinted from the room. Casey was a very fast runner, just like her mother. She ran the 100m, 200m, and 1000m sprints for her school.

"Oh, God. Case...." Olivia cried a bit more for her daughter.

Big Casey took Olivia's hand and caressed it gently and quickly whispered, "I'll find her, Liv." And then she was gone from the room, off to find Casey Serena Benson.

Olivia watched Novak walk out of the private hospital room and turned her head to look at Elliot, then at her son. "Are you ok, buddy?"

Caleb nodded with watery eyes. "I should be asking you that question, Mom," he sadly whispered.

Olivia gently ran her soft hand down her son's cheek, not losing eye contact with his handsome mocha brown orbs. "I'll be fine, Caleb, buddy. I'm gonna be fine," she assured him as she tried to assure herself at the same time.

Elliot sat down on the bed beside Olivia before handing Caleb a ten dollar note. "Go down to the cafeteria and get yourself something to eat and drink, son."

Caleb looked at his mother, who nodded before he took it.

"It's ok, buddy. Your dad and I need to talk."

The teen nodded and got off the bed. "I'll be back soon," he said and walked out.

Elliot took Olivia's smaller, soft, olive toned hands in his larger, coarse ones. "Baby...."

Olivia blushed and blinked back tears. "I...I'm scared, El," she stuttered emotionally.

The handsome captain wrapped his arms around Olivia's slender abdomen, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "Baby, I'm scared too, but you have me, and Caleb, and both Casey's and by your side as well. And we will be the whole way through this. I promise you that," he whispered as he began to rub soft circles on her back.

"How when you're going home to Manhattan?" she mumbled.

Elliot gently pulled Olivia back to look at him, but she refused to look up in to his gorgeous cerulean blues so he used his hand to cup her chin and gently pushed it up to look up at him.

"Baby? Baby, please look in to my eyes and listen to me," he whispered gently and waited for the brunette to look in his eyes. Chocolate browns meet cerulean blues and he continued. "Baby, I called my boss last night. I resigned, I've done my twenty. I'm moving here to be here for you and the twins. I'm not going anywhere. I promise," he assured her and kissed the tip of her button nose.

Olivia smiled sadly, held onto Elliot tightly and rested her tired, weak head back on his shoulder. "Thank you."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Casey Novak got out of her car at the park again, but little Casey wasn't on the swing set, so Novak was about to turn around and leave, to check somewhere else, but a fast moving figure caught the side of her eye. It was Casey Benson running around the soccer field. She was running out her anger and frustration, just like her mother used to do.

Novak walked up to where the teen was running and sat down on a nearby bench. "I'm here when you've tired yourself out, Lil' C," Big C called out across the field.

The teen finished her lap and ran over to the bench, occupied by her doting godmother. She was panting for air as she stretched, so her muscles didn't cramp up.

Novak just sat watching the young brunette and passed her a bottle of water when she had finished stretching. It was a good thing she bought one on the way to the park.

"Thanks," the teen thanked the red head and sat down beside her.

Big Casey rubbed little Casey's back. "This is a rough time for all of us, honey, more so for your mom, huh? She needs all the support that we can give her. She's gonna be sick for a while, sweetie."

The young Benson sighed. "I know, Aunt C, but I'm scared that I'm gonna lose her. Oh God, I sound like a big cry baby," she replied before a loud sob was released against her will.

"Oh honey, you're not a big cry baby. Your mom is very sick and you have every right to be emotional, ok?"

The brunette nodded and realized just how worried her mom would be right now. Her mother didn't need anymore stress put on her right now. She pulled back. "We better get back to the hospital. Mom must be freaking."

"That she would be."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Team Casey arrived back to the hospital to find Elliot and Caleb hanging around outside Olivia's hospital room.

Little Casey ran over to her dad and brother and began to freak out. "Why are you out here? Where's mom?" She asked, seeing the empty hospital room.

Elliot gently stopped his youngest daughter and squatted down a bit to look into her beautiful sapphire blue orbs.

"Casey. Casey, honey, settle down. They took your mom into the operating room for her biopsy. She'll be back soon and will be so happy to see you, ok?" He waited for an answer, but it didn't come so he tried again. "Ok, Casey?"

Casey Novak was about to walk over to the younger Casey but stopped when she finally answered her father with a small, unsure nod of her head before answering shortly.

"Yeah. Ok."

She then sat down in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs in the corridor.

The teenager seemed to be in her own little world as she grabbed her wallet out of her pocket, opened it, and pulled out a treasured family photo. It was just a family picture taken by Novak of Olivia, Casey and Caleb. Casey and Caleb were six and due to start first grade the following Monday.

It was taken at the beach and they were sitting on the sand, on a towel under an umbrella. Olivia was dressed in her chocolate brown two piece bikini with tie-up sides and a pink sarong over the bottom. Casey was cuddled into Olivia's left side, dressed in her favorite pink and brown polka dot one-piece and Caleb was cuddled into his mother's right side, dressed in blue and black board shorts.

They were so happy. Casey remembered it as one of the best summers she'd ever had.

The young teenage Benson was so deep in thought that that she didn't realize that her mom was being wheeled back in a wheelchair until she heard her mother's voice.

"Casey, baby. Casey."

"Huh?" She looked up. "Mom," she cried and gave her a gentle hug.

Olivia returned the hug. "Hey, baby. In your own little world there, huh?"

"I....I was just looking at this photo and remembering," she said as they went back into the room and waited until her mom was back in bed before handing her the photo.

Olivia took the photo and looked at it with a smile. "Ah yes. I remember this day. You and Caleb were so excited about starting school but when you went you hated it and came home crying. You slept in my bed with me that night and begged me to let you stay home the next day. Which had Caleb laughing at you because he loved school, of course, only to play with his friends," Olivia recalled.

Casey sat down beside her mom on the bed. "And I still hate school," she whispered, "but I know I gotta finish, so I can go to college."

"That's right, baby girl," Olivia answered and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"How did it go, Liv?" Elliot asked.

"I'll know the official results in the morning. Gosh, I'm so scared."

Elliot gave Olivia a kiss on the lips. "Whatever it is, we're here for you, baby."

"Thanks, El."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The next morning came painfully slow and Olivia hadn't slept a wink the night before. Just like yesterday morning, the brunette had Elliot, both Casey's and Caleb by her side to get the results. It was making her even more anxious.

Finally Doctor Livington walked in with the results. She sighed, ready to pass on the bad news.

"What is it, Doc?" Olivia asked, nervously.

Doctor Livington took a deep breath to stay professional and exhaled slowly.

"Olivia, the tests show that you have something known as Paraneoplastic Syndrome. PNS for short."

Olivia looked around at the father of her children, her daughter, her son and her best friend before turning back to the doctor. "And what is that exactly?"


End file.
